2020 Waterproofing Job of the Year
Congratulations to the Winner of the 2020 Waterproofing Job of the Year: Foundation Worx!
PROJECT OVERVIEW FOR JOB OF THE YEAR
Foundation Worx was engaged to repair two multi-family buildings that had structural and water issues. One of the multi-family buildings had a bowing front wall in their basement. There was also water intrusion in the same area. Additionally, the crawl space in this building was humid. This caused wood issues, mold, and unhealthy air in the residents above. The second building had similar moisture issues in the crawl space, bowing walls on one end, and a sloping floor issue in one unit.
We encapsulated both crawlspaces which ended up being over 3,000 square feet. We also installed 2 sump pits with sump pumps, 2 Santa Fe Dehumidifiers, 2 ECP support posts, a 65-foot ECP interior drain, 18 carbon fiber reinforcing straps, and helical tiebacks. Each building was around 2,200 square foot.
CHALLENGES
There were many challenges and obstacles we faced with this job. The first challenge was that access to each building was a little difficult. Another challenge was that the basement and crawl space humidity levels were so high we could not install the carbon fiber for several days until it dried out. To effectively dry out the area, we used additional dehumidifiers and fans. In addition, some areas of the crawlspace were inaccessible due to plumbing and ductwork. This created tight spaces for the crew to work.
Eventually, a structural engineer had to get involved due to the shearing of the hidden block wall during the inspection. This issue with the wall presented a challenge. We needed to change the design from carbon fiber reinforcing straps to a few helical tiebacks.
Additionally, since the units were occupied, many of the residents used the space below for storage, which meant coordinating our schedule with the owners schedules to move their personal items. Another obstacle we faced was that each section had to be cut out for drainage, which provided its own challenges for replacing dividers used for owners privacy and security.
SOLUTIONS
We encapsulated both crawlspaces, installed 2 sump pits with sump pumps, 2 Santa Fe Dehumidifiers, 2 ECP support posts, a 65-foot ECP interior drain, 18 carbon fiber reinforcing straps, and helical tiebacks.
Both of the crawlspaces had controlled humidity after sealing all the vents, spray foaming the walls, and using ECP 12 mil vapor barrier on the floor with overlapped and taped seams.
The front walls of both buildings had a successful installation of carbon fiber. This allowed for a full structural reinforcement of these walls, even after the challenging humidity issues during the summer.
As the owner’s rep was not only a resident, but also an architect, our level of detail to complete the job had to meet or exceed his expectations. The support posts were installed directly below his unit after his framing had “let loose” and dropped 2″.
ECP PRODUCTS USED:
- 65-foot ECP Interior drain (next to footing with clear cove channel)
- 2 Santa Fe Advanced Dehumidifiers
- 2 Glentronics S3033 Sump Pumps
- 2 Large Bell Basin Sump Pits
- 4,000 Square Feet of 12 mil Vapor Barrier
- 18 Carbon Fiber Bowing Wall Reinforcement Straps
- 3 ECP PP107 Support Posts
Installers Name: Wes Lowry, Aaron Stone, Byrd McGee
Other professionals on the job: Structural Engineer